Down the Second Ramp
“Are they squishy?”
“A little bouncy is all. See? Look, they don’t mind. They’re the Ramp! Such! Climb up.”
“It’s squishy, Kar. Squishy is …”
“Stand still! When one of ‘em pops it head up like that, we should listen.”
“Why?”
“Shhhhh!”
“Wunce wuzza jrabe from Kazoo
Who fell in a grawnberry stew
She yelled, ‘Send a raft!’ as jroons nearby laughed
And the jrabe kicked the stew all askew”
“What was that all about?”
“They’re entertaining us as we walk.”
“How do you know this? More secrets?”
“So such, it’s true. I didn’t know, Bek, I vow, that they’d be the Ramp. No. But Dak did warn me to be polite and to listen if ever a Rick so and such happened to stick up its head.”
“He told you about Ricks. What other more did he tell you?”
“He didn’t tell me anything other more about Ricks. I asked him, ‘What are Ricks?” He said, ‘You might find out.’”
“That’s all?”
“That’s … Oh, another. Stop. Shhhhh.”
“Wunce wuzza hutter whose name
Was known far and wide to his shame
His sanity fled. He put glass in his bed
A terrible way to earn fame”
“That was about Jugglor, the mad hutter.”
“I know, Bek. I knew right away.”
“This is getting interesting.”
“Getting?”
“Well, I know, but about Gwer drollek stories and such is what makes me, as Chronicler, feel the most … lively.”
“Bek, you sound confused. Keep walking.”
“What do you expect? I’m here walking on a living Ramp made out of watery serpent Ricks. It’s not exactly an average day in the hedge, is it? I’m allowed to be …”
“Shhhh! Settle. Another.”
“Wunce wuzza wandering woe
Lost in caverns below
A garden it made, carrots in shade
A tentacle wielded the hoe”
“That’s a garl story! That’s so such about the racketous garl BEFORE Rumin. Wandering woe. Lost. I don’t know that story. I should find that story! We should! It could be a Chronicle!”
“Settle, Bek. Time and place. You are Bower deep in the middle of living a Chronicle right now. Pay attention to the thorns you have before you pluck others.”
“Me? What about you? What about …”
“Shhhhh. Another.”
“Wunce wuzza delicate web
Trembling at sea’s lowest ebb
Sitting to listen, admiring its glisten
Was an Acrotwist Clown known as Jebb”
“There, Kar. That’s another one I don’t know. Jebb. Have you ever heard of Jebb?”
“No Jebb. Only Nobb and such. Kadd, of course.”
“I …”
“The end! The end! I see the end. The Second Realm! Let’s run!”